Can't Buy Me Love
by axelkairi
Summary: Arrogant. Handsome. Intolerable. All the above words describe Rufus ShinRa, a man who was supposed to be dead. To find out he had survived certainly puts a cramp in one's day. Then to find out that said corruptive force wants to marry you? Even worse.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

A/N: Quickly, before the inspiration dies!

**Can't Buy Me Love**

**Prologue**

Arrogant. Rich. Handsome. Sarcastic. Intolerable.

All the above words could be used to describe Rufus ShinRa, a man who was _supposed_ to be dead, but wouldn't tell a soul except his Turks how he'd survived the Weapon incident at Junon.

Personally, Tifa Lockhart didn't care much at all _how_ he survived. She tended to focus more on the fact that he'd _survived_. With his death, all the ShinRas of the world would be dead. No more ShinRa, no more corruption, no more Planet dying, no more weird experiments… In general, world happiness and peace.

And to find out that all of that corruption and hatred and love of fear had _survived_… well, it certainly puts a cramp in one's day.

And then to find out that said corruptive force wants to marry you? Even worse.

The conversation had been almost entirely one-sided. Rufus had explained from a purely business standpoint. To paraphrase, if he could show the world that someone as beloved as an AVALANCHE member could love him enough to pledge their life for him, then the public would certainly give him a second chance. And he would use that chance for good, and rebuild all that had been destroyed, and use his powers for good, blah blah blah.

Tifa didn't believe a word of it. So she said, "Go to hell," and had Barrett escort the former President out of 7th Heaven.

Then the next day, Tifa received a mysterious letter in the mail, stating that she had one month to vacate 7th Heaven and remove its clientele so the building could be used for 'government means.'

Furious, and knowing he had something to do with it, Tifa marched directly into the five-story makeshift ShinRa building, took the elevator, stormed right into Rufus's office and slammed the paper down on his desk.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she exclaimed.

Rufus glanced at the paper, and then returned to his paperwork. "I see you got my letter."

Tifa scoffed. "Yeah, I got it. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Rufus brushed his hair out of his eyes, hardly giving Tifa a glance. "Your building is being seized, Miss Lockhart."

"On what grounds?" Tifa asked, enunciating each syllable carefully. Her fingernails threatened to tear the paper and dig into the wood of Rufus's desk.

"All sorts of unruly people emerge from it in the middle of the night and create a public disturbance," the former President answered calmly. He set his pen down and leaned back in his chair, meeting the dark-haired woman's eyes for the first time. "And we can't have that while the city is in such a delicate state, can we?"

Tifa clenched her teeth. "It's a _bar_, you idiot; of _course_ people are going to be drunk."

"Then they can be drunk somewhere else," he retorted, a sly smirk creeping onto his lips.

Tifa glared at him a moment before speaking again. "Alright Rufus, you and I both know what this is really about."

Rufus's eyebrows raised in mock surprise. "Oh really? By all means…" He swept his hand through the air in a gesture for her to explain.

"I'm not going to marry you," Tifa snapped, setting both hands on his desk and leaning forward. "I'm not going to date you; I'm not even going to give you the time of day. And I _most certainly_ am _not_ going to sleep with you."

Rufus made a disappointed face and clicked once with his tongue. "Shame," he said. "It would've been worth your while."

Tifa gaped and, childishly, pretended to gag at his blatant come-on. "How can you be so arrogant when everyone hates you?"

The corners of his lips lifted in an outright smile. "Because I know they all secretly want to be me."

Tifa, bewildered by his unending cockiness, had no answer.

Taking advantage of her silence, Rufus stood, his motions lithe like a panther, and strolled around his room toward Tifa. "Be honest, Lockhart, have you even once thought about what I've asked of you?"

"You're not even worth the effort," she barked.

Rufus ignored her. "Think of all I could give you. Even with my company in shambles I have more money than any other man on the Planet. Anything you want, I can give to you."

"Maybe I don't want the things you'd give to me."

Rufus chuckled. "Lockhart, _every_ woman wants what I can give to them." Tifa shuddered at the veiled innuendo, scowling. "Think about it," he spoke, standing tall in front of her. "Then come back with your _real_ answer."

* * *

Tifa walked the rest of the way home in raging silence. No one tried to talk to her, not even acquaintances she'd pass by on the street; her anger showed easily in the way she held herself as she moved. By the time she reached 7th Heaven, she was fuming.

"Hey, Tifa?" Marlene began from a corner.

"_What?_" Tifa snapped, glaring at the girl.

Marlene shut her lips together tightly, eyes wide. Her bottom lip began to tremble, but she tried to hide it. "Nevermind…" she muttered, turning away.

Tifa sighed quietly, running a hand through her hair. Exasperated, she said, "Marlene…" calling the small girl back to her. She kneeled down and brushed Marlene's bangs off of her forehead, giving her a soft smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little stressed right now, but it's no big deal. What did you want to talk to me about?"

She smiled in return before letting it drop. "Some men dressed all in black came by and said something about leaving. We're not going anywhere, are we?"

Tifa flinched. _He sent his Turks?_ she thought, her outrage growing by leaps and bounds. "What exactly did they say, Marlene?" she asked. "Do you remember?"

"They said we had to be out of here in less than a month or they were going to force us out," she relayed. "They told me to tell you that. What are they talking about, Tifa?"

Tifa had stopped listening, stopped looking at Marlene entirely. _If he plays this game,_ she reasoned,_ there's no way I can win. No matter what I do, I lose._

"Tifa?"

The dark-haired woman looked back at Marlene, and sent her a reassuring smile, coupled with a hug. "Nothing, sweetie; it's nothing. I'll take care of it."

* * *

"Fine."

Rufus glanced up from his desk, meeting the burgundy eyes of Tifa Lockhart. "Fine what?"

Tifa glared down at him, arms crossed tightly. "Fine, as in 'Fine, I'll marry you.'"

Rufus blinked, as if he thought he hadn't heard her correctly. Then, wordlessly, he opened his desk drawer and pulled out a velvet box, opening and laying it on top of his papers.

Tifa regarded the white gold band, the enormous diamond cut perfectly right in the center, and felt her heart sink. "I have to wear that?"

"What did you expect?" Rufus asked indignantly. "A small town wedding at the Chocobo Barn? If this is going to be believable, it has to be authentic."

Clenching her teeth once more, Tifa held out her left hand. "Fine."

With one fluid movement, Rufus took her hand in his and slipped the ring onto her finger. In that moment, Tifa knew she had just sold her soul to the devil.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

A/N: To be honest, I don't really expect this story to be a crazy masterpiece; it's actually going to be pretty short, like, under ten chapters short. I just need to get this story out of my system, and I'll post it just to see how it's received. If you like, fantastic! That makes me smile =) but if you don't, it doesn't really matter much. Anyway! Time for chapter one! Hope you like!

**Can't Buy Me Love**

**Chapter One**

"Engaged?" Yuffie repeated, eyes bulging out of her head.

Tifa laughed nervously and let the ninja grab her hand, turning it this way and that, the ring catching the light and shining on her friends' faces. She'd called together the whole AVALANCHE gang to announce the news, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do. But if she was going to get Rufus off her back, she had to play along. And that meant plastering on a big smile while she showed off her bling.

"Mm-hmm!" she chipped.

"Since when?" Yuffie pouted, dropping her hand. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's been a sort of… recent development," Tifa answered truthfully.

"Shit!" Barrett cussed. He slammed his fist down on the table in front of him. "I don't like this, Teef. It's _ShinRa!_"

"Barrett!" Yuffie scolded, slapping him upside the head. "This is Tifa's decision, and we need to be supportive!"

"It's a dumb %^&*#$ decision," Cid mumbled.

"That's true." Tifa frowned at this. "But still! Be! Supportive!" With each word, she hit Barrett's cheek with the broad side of her Pinwheel.

"You never mentioned this before," Vincent remarked, eyeing Tifa with suspicion.

_Shit._ This was what she'd been afraid of. "Well, like I said, it's a recent development."

"Still, it would make sense that you'd tell at least one of us that you were seeing him."

"Yeah!" Cait Sith yowled, pinning her with his yellow-eyed glare. "Why didn't ya tell us? I'd like te think yoo and me are close!"

Tifa rolled her eyes quickly; no one seemed to notice. "Alright, guys, I get that you don't like it, but this is how it is. Rufus and I are engaged –"

"_Rufus?_" Barrett exclaimed in outrage. "Callin' him by his first name –!" Yuffie cut him off with another smack to his head.

"– whether you like it or not," Tifa continued, looking pointedly at Barrett. "We'll be getting married in a month, and I have a lot to do. I need your help."

"A _month?_" Yuffie and Barrett exclaimed, the ninja smiling broadly and the gunman open-mouthed in outrage. Yuffie grabbed a dishrag and stuffed it in his mouth, hopping over to Tifa as he tore it out and spat. "I think we both know who the maid of honor's gonna be, _riiiight?_" she asked, poking Tifa in the chest.

Tifa couldn't help but smiling. Even when faced with something like this, the ninja never stopped thinking about glory. I'm sure if Tifa wasn't already the bride, Yuffie would gladly take over the position just to feel all those eyes on her.

"Of course!" Tifa cheered, and Yuffie clapped.

"I'm picking out my own dress, by the way," she said. "I won't let you stick me in some ugly bride's maid dress."

Tifa opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off as the phone started ringing. Puzzled at who could be calling, she walked to the landline and picked it up. "Strife Delivery Service, you name –"

"I need your cell number," Rufus interrupted from the other side. "Calling the landline is degrading and impersonal."

Tifa gritted her teeth. Even when no one could see him, all he cared about was impressions. "Oh, hi, sweetie," she replied, voice oozing with sugar. "I was just telling everyone about our _happy_ news."

She could practically feel him smirking. "I assume they can hear you?"

"Yuffie's going to be my maid of honor," she continued in her mock excited voice, sending a smile to the ninja, already drawing sketches of a custom kimono.

"Wonderful," he said flippantly. "You keep a charade quite nicely, Lockhart." Moving on to the next subject, he said, "Come to the ShinRa building in one hour, in fine attire, please, if you have any. We must discuss our next move. And Lockhart?"

"Yes?"

"Love you, _darling_."

"Oh, I love you, too,_ honey_," she snarled, clenching the fist her friends couldn't see. "See you soon." She refrained from slamming the phone down on the receiver, instead setting it down lightly and turning to the group with a smile.

"ShinRa, huh?" Cid asked. "You two sound legit."

Tifa frowned – was Cid using popular slang? – but recovered her happy attitude easily. "Well, we are. I really… love him." She'd have to brush her teeth after that one. "Well, I have to go see him soon, and I look like a wreck, so…" She trailed off, figuring they would understand.

Barrett stood up first. "No problem," he said, his words clipped. "We get it." He was out the door before Tifa could say anything else. She stared after him sadly, wishing she could tell him the truth. _He'll hate me forever after this…_

One by one, the group filed out, finally leaving behind only Cloud. He stood up and locked eyes with the brunette. "Tifa," he began, "are you sure about this? Is this really what you want?"

_No!_ she wanted to scream. _Help me, please! Don't let him do this to me!_ But she couldn't. It was for Marlene, for her own livelihood, for her life. So instead, she smiled again, and said, "Yes, it is. I love Rufus, and I'm going to be very happy with him."

Cloud looked at her for another moment before nodding. "If you're sure, then. I'll leave you to it." He turned and left, following the others, closing the doors, oblivious to the tears in the corners of Tifa's eyes.

She blinked them away, blowing out a breath, and convinced herself to clean up. After all, Rufus did say fine clothes.

She chuckled to herself. Wouldn't it be great if she showed up in a lumberjack shirt and jeans just to spite him? Or, worse, the first outfit he'd seen her in, that white shirt, booty shorts, and suspenders? Throw in the ripped gloves, and voilá! Her finest ensemble.

But it wasn't worth it. She still had to do as he said, or this deal would never work.

She showered, put on her makeup, and picked a pretty yet sensible outfit: dark wash jeans, black heels, and a gray top underneath a purple trench coat, a barricade against the chilling air. Just for safety, she tucked her gloves into her pocket and her PHS and emergency pistol into a silver purse slung over her shoulder. She didn't expect anything to happen, but when dealing with an enemy, one couldn't be too prepared. She wrapped a blue scarf around her neck and went on her way.

* * *

Even though she didn't disobey Rufus in terms of clothes, she figured she could still push his buttons in little ways. Like being five minutes late. To an overscheduled workaholic like him, five minutes was like falling into oblivion.

Tifa approached the secretary's desk exactly five minutes later than she should've been there, a childish grin on her face. She felt like a teenager again.

"Hi," she said timidly, feeling intimidated by the stereotypical blond bombshell of a secretary sitting on the other side of the desk. "I'm here to see Ru- President ShinRa." _Stupid; don't call him Rufus in public. Like you're the best of friends…_

The secretary giggled. "Don't be so formal!" she grinned. "Just go in; I know who you are."

Tifa blinked. "Y-You do?"

"Of course! The President's fiancée! You are one lucky girl." She gestured to the door. "Go on in. He's expecting you."

"I know he is," Tifa mumbled to herself, a rebellious excitement making her heart pound. "Thank you."

She entered his office, shutting the door behind her. It was a far cry from the massive room it used to be, with two staircases leading up to an ornate white desk. It was now a typical rectangular room with a desk that looked like it came straight out of Office Depot and a black swivel chair. Papers littered the floor and the desk, piling up here and there. File cabinets were either forgotten or overstuffed on either side of the room, making the room comparatively smaller than it could be without the clutter. Tifa felt like she was trapped in a cage with a potentially dangerous animal; one wrong move and she wouldn't be able to escape.

Turns out she'd already made that one wrong move.

Rufus, who had previously been tapping the end of a pencil against his desk, sitting in his swivel chair, rose to his feet the second she shut the door. Even from across the room, she could see the fury in his eyes. "You're late," he growled.

Tifa would never admit it, but she felt intimidated. Normally she wouldn't hesitate to insult him or the like, but something seemed different. Maybe it was the room. His old office, his old life, had been so pristine and official. This… pigsty was nothing like that. _He really _has_ lost everything,_ she realized.

Nonetheless, she wouldn't let her fear show. "I got held up," she lied smoothly. "What's the big deal?"

He slammed his hand down on the desk as she came forward. "I expected you. You had me wait around for _five minutes_. Do you have any idea what I could've gotten done in that five minutes had you not dawdled?"

"Obviously nothing, in this mess," she pointed out, gesturing around her.

Rufus pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a breath. "Sit down," he told her. "Take off your coat."

"In that order?" she asked rhetorically just to screw with him.

He glared at her for a moment, then smirked. "Would you rather I take it off for you?"

Tifa blushed and scowled. "You're a pig."

"You're a child," he countered.

She brushed off the insult and untied her trench, draping it over the back of the chair opposite him before sitting and crossing her legs. She noticed Rufus looking her over. "What, making sure your trophy is shiny enough?" she asked maliciously.

He chuckled. "Anything I have must outshine the sun itself," he said, sitting down languidly, resting his elbow on his desk and his chin on the back of his hand. "And you do not disappoint."

"I'll have to wear black next time, then," Tifa spat, trying to force back her blush at the compliment.

"All the more flattering."

"Let's talk seriously, Rufus," Tifa said, changing the subject. She was getting tired of this constant jab-and-duck flirting of his. "We only have a month to plan this wedding, right?"

He leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on the armrests of his chair. "That's what wedding planners are for, aren't they?"

Tifa stammered. "Then why'd I have to come here? If I don't have a say in anything –"

"Would you like a say?" Rufus asked, studying her closely.

Tifa opened her mouth, then caught herself. If she said she did, then it would seem like she actually _cared_. "Doesn't matter to me," she shrugged. "It's not a real wedding, anyway."

"Nevertheless, it must be believable. Tell me, Tifa, what happens at weddings?"

"People get married."

"Well, that was a wonderful piece of unknown information. Anything else to share?"

"What do you _want_ me to say?"

"Decorations. A guest list. A cake. A dress. A dance. Sound familiar?"

Tifa crossed her arms. "Is that a check list then?"

"Precisely." Rufus stood up and began walking around his desk. "The wedding, while fake, needs to fool even your closest friends, rabble though they may be. It has to have a touch of your personality in the decorations, the cake, the dress. Also, I assume your 'maid of honor' will want to help you with all this?"

Tifa nearly cussed out loud. Yes, she loved Yuffie dearly, but being stuck with her and her conceit day in and day out? This would be a very long month. "Alright, fine. I can take care of that. What will _you_ do?"

"The guest list, of course. I can't have you inviting unmentionables."

"Unmentionables?" She was flabbergasted that he would even use that word to describe other human beings.

"The dance, however, will be a joint endeavor." Rufus leaned against his desk a few paces away from where Tifa sat, locking eyes. "Our first lesson is in a week, every Thursday at 4pm."

"Lessons?" Tifa asked, suddenly feeling exhausted. She got that the wedding had to be realistic, but she didn't think it had to be _perfect_. "Can't we just wing it?"

"Tifa, that would look ridiculous. We have to keep up appearances. Have you any idea the amount of press that will attend?"

Tifa sighed. "I was just starting to forget…"

Rufus was silent for a moment, and in that time Tifa was able to ask what had been on her mind since she'd agreed to these demands.

"Rufus," she started, drawing his attention. "I get that you need me and all, but what do I get out of this? I'm not just doing this out of the goodness of my heart, after all."

"You get to keep your job, your home, and your orphan. Isn't that enough?"

"_No_. I won't help you just because you're threatening me. Give me something better than that, or I'm walking out."

Rufus pinned her with a narrowed stare. "You would risk that?"

"You need me, Rufus," Tifa said, confidence growing. She turned toward him in her chair and leaned back, making herself comfortable. "So, how much do you need me? Make me an offer."

Rufus made an indignant face. "I am President ShinRa; I do not bargain with vigilantes!"

Tifa shrugged and stood up, pursing her lips. "That's too bad," she said, gathering her coat in her arms. She kissed the air at Rufus's cheek and turned to the door.

"Wait." Tifa stopped, her back still facing him. "500,000 Gil a year."

"How many years?"

Rufus thought for a second. "Ten."

"Twenty."

He hesitated. "Fifteen."

Tifa contemplated this. Marlene was six, Denzel was eight; in fifteen years, both of them would be well on their way to college and finished with high school. 500,000 Gil a year would definitely help in the way of school funds…

Tifa turned back around to face him. "Fifteen it is, then." She smiled and held out her hand for him to shake.

Rufus eyed her hand for a moment before clasping his around it, meeting her eyes. She could see his promise reflected in them, and had a strange sense that she could trust him.

She stepped back, slipping her purse onto her shoulder. "So, where's this wedding planner?"

"You will meet with her Friday at 11am," he said, flipping through a desk calendar. He looked up to meet her eyes. "Don't be late."

"No need to worry, sweetie," Tifa purred, blowing him a kiss. She walked out of the room, blissfully unaware of the way Rufus watched her as she shut the door.

* * *

A/N: What do you guys think so far? I like it! Please let me know how you feel in a review! =D


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

A/N: Hi! I'm so sorry it's been so long, and thanks so much for reviewing and reading! Thanks specifically to michibun, who PMed me and got me back on track with this! I'll try to update on a more regular basis from now on, but I'm battling some severe writer's block, so bear with me! Anyway, here you go! Hope you like!

**Can't Buy Me Love**

**Chapter Two**

The days passed quickly. Tifa was kept busy by 7th Heaven's desperate clientele and their feverish need to get drunk, Marlene's boundless energy and constant stream of new and confusing games to play, and Yuffie's messages filling up her voice mail at a rate of twenty per minute. With her spare time, she slept, cleaned, or simply enjoyed sitting. But always, _always_, she was thinking of Rufus, and the impending doom that came with him.

The wedding was in twenty-eight days. She tried not to, but she couldn't stop herself from worrying. What if it wasn't enough time? What if something went wrong? It was a fake wedding, yes, but it was _her_ wedding. Even if it was to a sadistic corporate nightmare and she was being forced into the arrangement, she was still getting married. It was what every little girl dreamed of, and now her dream was being ruined. She wouldn't let circumstance sabotage her special day.

Friday came, and Tifa readied herself to meet the wedding planner. She still didn't know anything about the person, but she assumed it was a standard, businesslike woman with a binder and generic ideas, probably wearing some sort of black suit and skirt. An hour with a woman like that and nothing to do but talk about the most awful event since Meteor; Tifa would surely be bored to tears.

Luckily, the remedy to that situation quickly broke down the door.

"I'm here~~!" Yuffie called, posing dramatically in the open doorway.

Tifa jumped, then relaxed at the sight of the ninja. "Hey, Yuffie," she sighed, setting down the glass she'd just been cleaning.

Yuffie sauntered into the bar, not even bothering to close the door. "You ready to go?"

Tifa blinked. "To go where?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "To see the wedding planner, stupid!"

Tifa furrowed her brow. "You're coming?" she asked.

"Of course!" Yuffie jumped up on the counter and sat, swinging her legs. "You can't make any decisions without me there! I'll be there to let you know when you're about to do something dumb!"

Tifa exhaled, but smiled slightly. Yuffie was like a toddler; she said anything at all that came to mind without any filter, and had no limit to her energy level. It was both fun and exhausting to be around her for any length of time. "Then I'm glad you're coming with me," she replied, sticking shot glasses in a cupboard. "I'd hate to make a dumb decision."

"Exactly!" Yuffie hopped down and turned back to the bartender. "What are you doing that for? We need to get goin'!" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Tifa's wrist and dragged her to the door.

* * *

The wedding planner's office was in a tall building near the center of Edge, on the twenty-seventh floor. The elevator was golden with hardwood floors, and Yuffie was pretending that she wasn't giving her reflection on the polished surface winking faces as she rode up with Tifa. The doors opened to reveal a red and gold themed hallway, leading up to an oval shaped room with soft tangerine walls and a mahogany desk, behind which a woman with brown hair tied into a bun on the top of her head sat, adjusting her thick-rimmed black glasses as she scrawled words into the booklet before her. She looked up as the women entered, and a smile crossed her face as she stood. "Hello, you must be Miss Lockhart," she greeted, shaking hands with Tifa. "And you are…" She paused when her eyes rested on Yuffie.

Yuffie chewed on her lip indignantly, so Tifa stepped up for her. "This is my maid of honor, Yuffie Kisaragi."

"Wonderful to meet you," the wedding planner finished, shaking the begrudged ninja's hand before sitting once more. "My name is Jacquiline Berzas."

"Yeah, can we just call ya Jackie?" Yuffie asked, sitting down in a chair on the other side of the desk.

Jacquiline blinked, but recovered her composure quickly. "Um, sure, if you'd like."

"_Yuffie,_" Tifa chastised. She turned her attention back to Jacquiline. "Well, where should we start?"

Jacquiline clicked her pen and set it down on her open notebook, folding her hands on the desk. "How about we just talk about the wedding itself? What do we know for sure that we want to build off of?" She cast glances at Tifa and Yuffie in turn and, when neither responded, she turned her attention to Tifa. "How about this: Tell me about your fiancé."

Tifa blinked, thinking. How do you describe Rufus ShinRa? "Well," she began. "He's a businessman. He's… smart, and… sort of mysterious, I guess is the word."

Jacquiline grinned. "What his name?"

The dreaded question. "Rufus ShinRa," Tifa sighed, avoiding eye contact.

"So _you're_ the one!"

Tifa lifted her head. "What?"

Smiling, Jacquiline explained. "The rumors have been going around for a while now. I wasn't so sure, but here you are!" She got a kind of dreamy look on her face. "I'm so blessed to be doing your wedding."

Tifa's face flushed in embarrassment. "Um, thank you?"

Jacquiline suddenly regained her business composure. "Well, yes, anyway." She flipped through her notebook and creased a page. "Do you have any ideas you want to be in the wedding? Anything you've thought about?"

Tifa shook her head. "Not particularly. I'm kind of lost, really."

Jacquiline smiled. "That's no problem. That's what I'm here for." She adjusted her glasses and continued. "Let's see… Let's start with your favorite color."

Tifa thought for a moment. "It's kind of a wine color."

"Wine?" Yuffie asked, her tone distasteful.

Tifa shot Yuffie a look, but Jacquiline spoke up quickly. "Wine, alright. We could pair that with white – that's always a nice base to have – and one other color would be nice." She looked at Tifa expectantly, pen poised to write.

"Um…" Tifa's eyes looked around the room, thinking. "Purple," she blurted out without thinking.

Jacquiline blinked. "Purple?" She thought on this for a moment. "I suppose… I'll compose some patterns with the colors, and we'll see how it turns out. Do you mean a deep purple or a sort of lavender?"

"Deep purple," Tifa answered. She had no idea why the color popped into her head – she'd never really been fond of purple – but it just seemed right.

"Alright, next: favorite flower?"

Yuffie nearly stood up in her chair. "Lotus!" Both Tifa and Jacquiline's eyes shot to her. "Lotus and cherry blossom, no question." She turned to Tifa, as if asking for her approval.

Tifa stuck a smile on her face and turned back to Jacquiline. "Yeah, those sound great."

Jacquiline smiled back, however sheepishly, and scribbled in her notebook. "Alright then, lotus and cherry blossom…"

Yuffie scooted her chair closer to Tifa's and stretched over to whisper in her ear. "They're the best flowers, trust me. The cherry blossom is the treasured flower of Wutai, and the lotus means love."

"Love?" Tifa cringed inside. If only the actual marriage meant love.

"Well, estranged love and forgetting the past, but whatever – it's a pretty flower anyway."

Tifa held back a laugh. Estranged love? _I guess that's better,_ she thought.

Jacquiline cleared her throat and brought the girls' attention back. "Did either of you see the fish out in the lobby?"

Tifa furrowed her brow. "Fish?"

Jacquiline nodded. "There's a very nice oval tank out there, with the prettiest koi –"

"_Koi?_" Yuffie exclaimed, a huge smile on her face. "Tifa, I'll be right back!" No sooner could Tifa open her mouth to say goodbye was Yuffie out the door and down the hall.

Tifa looked back at Jacquiline with amazement. "Did you –"

"Let's continue, shall we?" Jacquiline asked, the smallest hints of a mischievous smile on her face.

The interview was very straightforward from there, questions followed by answers. Themes: no theme in mind, just a midafternoon wedding. Bride's maids: no sisters, no relatives, hardly any friends – she'd be bride's maid hunting. Live music or DJ: live music, something classical – Rufus wasn't the one for contemporary music. Reception after: absolutely! Indoors or outdoors: outdoors, in nature.

"Have you interviewed a person to officiate?" Jacquiline asked, in the middle of writing down Tifa's answers.

"Huh? Um, I figure Rufus will probably be doing that."

"Just President ShinRa?" She looked up from her notebook.

"Is that wrong?" Tifa asked.

Jacquiline set her pen down. "Well, it's such an important part of the whole process, I would think the both of you would want a say."

Tifa thought for a moment. _I guess I would want to know who the person signing my death sentence is,_ she thought. "You're right," she finally said. "I'll talk to Rufus about it, and I'll get back to you."

"Wonderful," Jacquiline said with a smile. "I believe our time is over, Miss Lockhart." She stood and walked around the desk to shake hands with Tifa. "It was great meeting you, and I look forward to helping you with your wedding."

"Thanks so much," Tifa said. "It was nice meeting you, too."

Tifa made her way out, the situation slowly washing over her. This was for real. This marriage was happening, whether she wanted it or not. It was out of her control now.

Yuffie was standing over a raised marble platform in the lobby, eyes wide and shining like a child's. Orange koi swam in a small oval pond with shimmering rocks at the bottom and flowers floating along the surface.

"Yuffie?" Tifa asked, stepping up to her. "You ready to go?"

Yuffie stood up straight. "It's over already?" she asked. "That was fast."

Actually, Tifa had been in there for nearly a half hour since Yuffie had left the room. She must've been pretty enamored by those fish for time to fly.

"Yeah," she said instead. "It went by pretty quick. Let's get back."

"Okay!" Yuffie chirped, bouncing on her heels and strutting toward the door.

Tifa followed at a close distance, anxious to leave. The longer she stayed in there, the more she felt cornered, trapped. The doors opened and the crisp, fresh air hit her face and blew her hair back with the promise of autumn, and Tifa breathed a sigh. She needed to get her mind off of all this.

"Yuffie?"

Yuffie turned to her. "Yeah? What's up?"

Tifa paused for a moment, looking the young ninja directly in the eyes. "Let's get drunk."

* * *

Rufus ShinRa shut his bedroom door behind him and heaved a sigh, running a hand through his hair. His feet dragged all the way to the back corner of his room and he fell on his bed face-first, his body soon buried among too many pillows and blankets that were too thick. He was too tired to toss them on the floor, instead focusing on breathing.

He felt Dark Nation climb onto the bed and walk next to him. The Guard Hound let out a small whine and nuzzled his face.

Rufus mumbled into the sheets and patted the spot on his bed next to him, and the hound lay down and curled up beside him. Exhaling, Rufus lifted his head and rested his chin on the overfluffed pillow in front of him.

These moments were strange for him. There was always work to be done, things to do, places to be and people to talk to, especially now that the ShinRa Electric Power Company had fallen. It was so much harder to build a company than to maintain one. And the stress of it all was taking its toll on his mind and body, not to mention his sleeping habits.

But these moments, just laying in bed, his hound at his side, and listening to nothing but the air conditioning hum in the background… A part of him itched to be working, but as wave after wave of fatigue poured over him, he buried that part underneath his content to finally not be moving.

"All of this, and a marriage as well," he muttered, as if anyone could hear him. Dark Nation's ears perked up, but otherwise the hound lay still. He brought his arms up and crossed them, resting his chin on his forearms. "It sucks the life out of me. I'll stand dead at the altar."

The hound opened its eyes and whined again, darting its pink tongue out to lick its master's cheek. Rufus let the smallest grin touch his lips and a tiny laugh bubbled forth. He playfully pushed the hound's large, dark head away and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. Dark Nation moved forward and rested his jaw on his master's chest, wagging its tail.

Rufus absentmindedly stroked the hound's fur, searching the ceiling as if for answers. "She can't be my wife for long, you know," he said. "Well, long enough that the public approves, but I'll have to be rid of her eventually."

Dark Nation yawned, stretching its legs, and nestled next to him. Rufus leaned back into the pillows, sat back up and tossed all but two on the ground, then lay back down. What would make the woman leave? _He_ couldn't end it – it would look terrible on him in the eye of the public. He needed to make it so he won their sympathy, even without her in his life. Because really, how long could he keep up this love charade with a woman like _that_? No class, all brawn; not a feminine, delicate bone in her body.

How did couples normally break up? He certainly wasn't the expert. Normally he just got bored with a relationship, and sent them a message and perhaps some chocolates if he was particularly fond of them, and cease communication from then on. But a marriage… It would have to be something serious.

The idea hit him so hard he shot out of bed, disturbing the sleeping hound beside him.

"Of course," he whispered, amazed at how he hadn't seen it earlier. The perfect solution.

And then the public would hate her, and love him instead. And he would have everything. And she would go back with nothing.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

A/N: I hope everybody liked the last chapter! I recently got into a manga that reminds me a lot of this story called Stepping On Roses – surprisingly, I didn't get any of my ideas from it haha but it's soooo similar! Check it out :) Anyway, I hope you guys like this next chapter! And please review!

**Can't Buy Me Love**

**Chapter Three**

Tifa and Yuffie stopped by the bar to change out of their nice clothes into outfits more suitable for their night's mission: to get belligerently drunk. Tifa slipped into a little black dress and heels, while Yuffie chose a backless red blouse and a short black shirt and black boots.

It was always tough to close down Seventh Heaven even for just one night – the clientele never appreciated being denied – but Tifa simply bolted the doors shut, turn off the neon "OPEN" sign, and had Barrett stay the night at the place with Marlene. The promise of princess movies and endless beer intrigued the both of them respectively.

The club was a new commodity to Edge. The name was Cutting Edge, but no one cared much about the lack of creativity – they took what they got, and this was all they had. The lack of creativity leaked all the way through the entire establishment: it had been fashioned from an old corporate building, with flashing technicolor lights and a bar next to a pulsing dance floor, unisex bathrooms, and the stairs that Tifa had never ventured up. She could guess what went on upstairs; she didn't need to see it for herself.

Sketchy was a word to sum up Cutting Edge. The floor was, thankfully, hardwood, but the walls were still uncovered concrete. The bathrooms were cleaned maybe once every two nights, and often the bouncers' sunglasses were "too dark" to see the IDs clearly.

Compared to the other partygoers, Tifa and Yuffie were dressed conservatively. Upon entering the throbbing club, Tifa saw a woman wearing booty shorts and tassels – no shirt, of course – and the man behind her wore a fishnet tank top and a banana hammock.

Tifa turned around so she didn't have to see anymore, eyes wide in shock.

"Huh?" Yuffie patted Tifa's shoulder. "Hey, what's up? You okay?"

Blinking, Tifa blew out a breath and faced the crowd. "Yeah, it's just been a while since I've been here." _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…_

"Heeyyy…" Yuffie furrowed her brow, putting her hands on her hips. "Tifa, you're not having second thoughts _now_?" At Tifa's silence, she sighed. "Hey, think about it like this: do you really think Rufus Shinra is gonna let you have a bachelorette party?"

"Probably not…" He wouldn't approve of that kind of wild behavior. As a matter of fact, he wouldn't approve of _this_ kind of wild behavior. Just knowing that made her think twice about leaving. If he found out, he'd be furious. She couldn't help but smile.

"Exactly! So think of this like your last hurrah!"

"Hey! Get a move on!" one of the bouncers yelled at the pair. "You're holding up the line!"

"Sorry!" Yuffie shouted back, grabbing Tifa's arm and pulling her into the crowd.

The smell of sweat and cologne assaulted Tifa's nostrils immediately, and she gagged. "Yuffie! How about we get some drinks first?" Maybe that would numb her senses.

"Good call!"

Getting out of the crowd was much more difficult than getting into it. The battle was fierce, but the pair emerged, however covered in other people's sweat. Tifa was wearing a tiara – she wasn't sure where it came from.

"Wha –?" she began to say, reaching up to the bedazzled thing.

"Heeeyy~!" a voice called over the thumping bass. "We got a birthday girl!"

Yuffie looked around, for the source of the voice or the birthday girl Tifa wasn't sure. Suddenly, she felt a pressure on her arm, and before she knew it someone was tugging her forward, and Yuffie disappeared behind a wall of dancers.

"Hey! Yuffie!" Tifa called, but her voice didn't carry over the speakers. Knowing Yuffie was lost – or maybe she was the lost one – she turned her attention to the arm that was still pulling her, and the person attached to the arm. She didn't recognize the blue mohawk and green vest, and she didn't wait to get to know them. "Hey! Let go!" She tried to wrestled out of their grip and stumbled back, only to have someone catch her from behind.

"Whatcha doin', birthday girl? Get over to the bar!"

The person shoved her forward, and the crowd around her cheered and lifted their drinks, all taking their turns pushing her. Tifa hardly had to walk on her own.

With one last, hard push, Tifa staggered forward and knocked her gut against the bar table, her breath leaving her in one exhale.

"There you are! Here, one Punch, on the house! Happy birthday!"

For half a second, she expected someone to punch her, but a drink was shoved into her hand and she understood. She was jostled, a little shaken, and completely out of her element. But these people around her were cheering and whistling, and it was her plan in the first place to get drunk…

"What the hell," she said to herself, put the drink to her lips, and tilted it back.

"Happy birthday~!" the crowd around her yelled, sang, and drunkenly exclaimed. Someone batted Tifa on the back so hard she nearly spewed out her punch – she almost did anyway, with how much it burned her throat going down. What was it? Pure alcohol with food coloring? But she drank it anyway, egged on by their horribly off-key version of "Happy Birthday To You".

"Another drink, for the birthday girl!"

"Hey, sweets, how 'bout I buy you a drink?"

"Fill 'er up!"

Tifa opened her eyes, it seemed for the first time that night, and she was on the dance floor. Where had her crowd of people gone? Where was Yuffie? Did it really matter? Whatever.

There was a guy behind her; at least she assumed it was a guy with the way he was grinding his hips against her butt. She started to move away, but her head felt so hazy…

"There ya go, birthday girl…"

_What?_ Tifa blinked, but her eyelids felt heavy. Her body felt heavy. Her knees gave under her and the man caught her, his arms under hers, and her head lolled back on his chest. She got a foggy glimpse of blue – the guy with the mohawk?

But thinking was too hard, too heavy… She closed her eyes, and everything faded to the beat of the track.

* * *

Reno didn't know how long he'd been waiting. His jaw still throbbed, and he resisted the urge to touch it. If he didn't find that girl soon…

But he didn't have time to worry about that now. A man with a blue mohawk was opening the back door of Cutting Edge, lugging an unmistakable Tifa Lockhart in his arms. "A little help here?" the man grunted out.

Reno rolled his eyes. "Please, she's not _that_ heavy." Nevertheless, he shifted Tifa and looped an arm around her waist, carrying her outside and shutting the back door with his foot. The two men shuffled to the black unmarked car Reno had driven in and laid the unconscious girl in the backseat.

The man let out a huff as Reno shut the door. "So where's the cash, man?"

Reno smirked. "You mean spending a night with a girl like that isn't payment enough?"

The man didn't find it funny. "Maybe if she put out a bit more. Look, buddy, if this was some sort of hustle –"

"Chill out," Reno assured him. "Jeez, you slum junks and your dirty money… There." He dug out a wad of bills from his pocket and dropped it in the man's hand. "That should cover the drinks, and anything else you need."

The man smiled as he counted the money. "Send my regards to the President."

"He's not interested," Reno shot back. "You should feel lucky that the Turks even thought of you."

"Whatever, man." The man shoved the money into his pants pocket. "I've got girls to get back to." With a broad smile, he swaggered back inside the club.

Reno blew out an exasperated breath. "I'm sure you do, killer." He walked around the front of the car and slid into the driver's seat, glancing over his shoulder at the sleeping woman in his backseat. Yup, she wasn't waking up anytime soon.

He didn't like this. Where was the "better Shinra" that Mr. Prez was always talking about here? This felt just like the old days… and he didn't like the old days so much anymore. How did the Prez expect to win over the public when he was still pulling dirty tricks like this?

But it wasn't his job to question. His job was to follow orders, whatever they may be. So he revved up the engine, shoved his guilty conscience to the side, and drove.

* * *

Cloud rubbed his eyes, jumping to his feet. Who would be knocking on his door at this time of night? And who even knew where he lived?

His first thought was Tifa. Besides possibly Barrett, she was the only one who knew where his apartment was. She'd visit occasionally, sad that he'd moved out. But wouldn't she be busy with the bar this late?

Blinking the last bits of sleep from his eyes, he opened the door. "Reno?" he asked, confused, until he took in the whole picture in front of him.

Reno held an unconscious and scantily-clad Tifa in his arms. "Yo," he said.

Cloud didn't form a coherent thought – he didn't think he wanted to. All he knew was that Tifa wasn't safe and it was because of Reno. He reached to his sword by the door, but Reno was quick – he dropped Tifa's legs, holding her only under her arms, and grabbed his electric rod, pointing it at Cloud.

"Hear me out before you fight me, eh?" Reno suggested.

"What did you do to her?" Cloud demanded.

Reno sighed. "I didn't do anything. I was out tonight, and I guess we went to the same place. She was passed out drunk when I found like this."

"I don't believe you."

"Listen, if I did this, why would I be coming to you and giving her to you?" Cloud didn't have an answer. "I don't want to deal with some drunk girl tonight – she's your problem." He stepped inside and shoved Tifa against Cloud's chest; Cloud dropped his sword and caught her quickly so she wouldn't fall. "I've got better things to do." Reno was walking away before Cloud could say anything else.

Reluctantly, Cloud shut the door, getting a better hold on Tifa and bringing her into his living room. He laid her on his couch and, almost as an afterthought, draped a blanket over her still, unconscious form.

It wasn't like her to do this. To get so drunk that she passed out? Not like her at all. But what Reno had said was right: why would he help her if he had done this to her? Something must've been bothering her…

Was it the engagement? Did she really want to marry Rufus? Cloud more than suspected she didn't, but he couldn't get any concrete answers until she woke up. And who knew when that would be?

Cloud sighed, raking a hand through his hair. Nothing to do now. 'Cept wait. He glanced around, then picked a spot on the wall and sat down, closing his eyes and letting himself fall back asleep. It didn't take long.

* * *

Tifa felt pain before she realized she was awake. There was a light in front of her closed eyes and she squinted, shutting them tight, trying to block it out. Her head hurt so much… Why?

The night came rushing back to her with a flood of fresh pain. She groaned and covered her eyes with her arm, curling up, trying to block out the world. That's right – she went to the club with Yuffie. Then she lost her, and they called her a birthday girl because of the tiara. Then she drank, and then… She couldn't remember. She ended up dancing with some guy – the blue mohawk guy. And then…

She passed out. She didn't remember anything after that. And now…

Where was she? She was reluctant to open her eyes – the light hurt so bad, and her head was already throbbing with her heartbeat.

"Tifa?"

She knew that voice. Without thinking, she flung her arm away and opened her eyes, then covered them again when she was attacked by the light. "Cloud?" she asked groggily, her voice hoarse from sleep.

"How are you feeling?"

"Ow," she replied simply.

Cloud let out a small chuckle at that. "You drank so much you passed out."

"Yeah, I…" Tifa slowly removed her hands, squinting and blinking, shading her eyes. Cloud stood by the light switch and dimmed the overheads. She smiled to him in gratitude. "Last night was…"

Cloud's expression faltered. "Tifa… Last night –"

"Wait… How did I get here?"

"Well –"

"Cloud, you… You brought me here? You found me?"

"I didn't –"

Tifa furrowed her brow, piecing everything together. "Me and Yuffie went to Cutting Edge… Yuffie!" she gasped, her hands coming to her mouth. She stood up hastily, throwing the blanket off of her, and fixed her dress. "Where's Yuffie? Did she make it back okay?"

"I don't know."

"She doesn't know where I am! She must be worried!" Tifa slipped on her shoes, which she found by the couch. She tripped her way to Cloud and held him in a sloppy embrace. "Cloud, thank you so much, but I have to go." She made her way to the door, quickly. "Thank you!"

"Tifa, wait –"

Tifa threw open the door, the sunlight blinding her. But that wasn't the only thing that hurt her eyes.

Camera flashes. Hundreds of them, right in front of her face.

"Miss Lockhart! Over here!"

"Miss Lockhart, who's house is this?"

"What are you doing here, Miss Lockhart?"

"Does President Shinra know about this?"

"What?" Tifa tried her best to cover her face, but it was no use – they'd already gotten at least a hundred pictures. "Go away! What are you doing here?" _A paparazzi? Already?_ she thought.

"Tifa!" Cloud came outside behind her, and the paparazzi seemed to let out an all-inclusive scream.

"Miss Lockhart, coming out Cloud Strife's apartment!"

"It looks like she slept over!"

"How scandalous!"

Cloud put his arm around Tifa's waist, leading her away from the crowd, but when she saw their reaction to this she pushed his arm away. He didn't seem to care. "I'll get you home," he said, and she nodded, thankful.

* * *

"President Shinra, sir."

Rufus set down his pen and folded his arms on his desk, taking care not to crinkle any papers. "What is it?"

"The paper, sir. You asked for it."

"Ah, right. Bring it here." Rufus held out his hand until the man gave him the rolled newspaper. "Leave." The man bowed, and left the room.

Rufus took his time unrolling the paper and setting it on his desk, a smile on his face. He already knew what he would see.

And there it was, staring straight back at him. The tiny seed of doubt that the public needed, enough to get them wondering.

Tifa Lockhart – messy hair, rumpled clothes and all – coming out of Cloud Strife's apartment with his arm around her waist. 'What can the President think of this?' the paper asked.


End file.
